ATP and WTA act to curb late finishes and fix balls issue

After years of late, late finishes and mounting criticism, especially from leading players, the ATP and WTA announced on Tuesday that they are finally doing something about it.

In an effort to help everyone, from players to tournament staff, fans and media, matches will – apart from in extenuating circumstances – start no later than 11pm in any ATP or WTA event.

The one-year trial comes after a series of late, late finishes, mostly at the Grand Slams, which have not signed up to this trial, as yet. At the Australian Open last year, Andy Murray finished his match with Thanasi Kokkinakis at 4.05am.

Elena Rybakina and Daria Kasatkina finished just before 3am in Montreal, while Borna Coric beat Iliya Ivashka at 3am in Los Cabos. Matches at the Paris Masters in November regularly finished well into the early hours.

“The number of late match finishes (defined as matches finishing after midnight) has risen considerably in recent years, negatively impacting players and fans,” the ATP and WTA said in a joint statement. “This is tied to an increase in average match length on Tour.

“New rules related to Match Scheduling will be implemented at ATP and WTA events and will be in effect from January 2024 as follows:

• No more than five matches per day per court (with an 11 a.m. start), with three matches during the day session and two matches during the evening session.
• No matches to go on court after 11 p.m., unless approved by the ATP/WTA Supervisor in consultation with ATP/WTA management.
• Matches not on court by 10:30 p.m. to be moved to an alternative court – by no later than 11 p.m.
• Night sessions to begin no later than 7:30 p.m., with a recommendation for 6:30 p.m.

“In exceptional circumstances, a tournament may request waivers based on local cultural traditions, weather conditions, or other extenuating situations, to be considered by ATP/WTA. The new scheduling rules are being implemented as part of a one-year trial in 2024, with further review to follow.”

Strategic review into balls

Players have also become increasingly critical, in recent years, of the fact that the tennis balls they use can change week on week, something they say is leading to injuries on the Tour.

“Historically, each individual tournament has had the ability to determine its own ball supplier or sponsor, leading to potential inconsistencies of balls used week-on-week,” the ATP and WTA said.

“The intention is to now move towards a more consistent and centralised approach by ATP and WTA. The goal is to deliver greater ball consistency within tournament swings for players, and tighter certification and specification requirements for an enhanced end-product, while not adversely affecting revenue streams for tournaments.”

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